Pill packaging system

ABSTRACT

A pill packaging apparatus is shown and described.

FIELD

This invention pertains generally to packaging systems and more particularly to a cost effective, mechanical pill packager.

BACKGROUND

Pill containers are widely used for organizing and carrying pills. For example, a common pill carrier consists of a molded plastic container with multiple compartments that open individually to allow access to pills contained within. Such containers are useful, but have a number of drawbacks. One obvious drawback is that when all but a few compartments are empty, the carrier still needs to carry the whole container. Likewise, the pill container must be carried, even when it is empty. It is possible to use disposable containers, such as plastic baggies or paper envelopes, however loading such containers is time consuming and inconvenient.

Pill packaging systems are used to load pills and/or other capsules into containers, cup or pill carriers, for later use. Many of the current pill packaging systems are complicated electronic devices are therefore more prone to breakage than a manual device. Likewise, such complex pill packaging systems are less cost effective than a manual pill packaging system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a pill packager.

FIG. 2 is a detail view of the base in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a detail view of the support tray in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the rotator tray in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a detail view of the connector in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a detail view of an alternate embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Pill packaging systems may be used by people of all ages who periodically take pills or vitamin supplements over a length of time (e.g., hours or days) and wish to organize or carry their packaged pills with them.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a pill packager 10 and showing the pill packager 10 with a base 12, a support tray 14 and a rotator tray 16. In some embodiments, the pill packager is to be constructed of a durable yet lightweight material such as plastic or composite, but could be made of any other suitable material (e.g., wood or metal) in other embodiments. Likewise, the pill packager could be fabricated from many different cost effective manufacturing methods such as injection molding or extruding. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the pill packager 10 is made of the elements as shown and is designed to be easily assembled and adjusted by the end user.

The base 12, an example of which is shown in detail in FIG. 2, has a footprint designed to rest on a horizontal surface, such as a countertop, with peripheral edge 18, and the top surface 20 thereof may define a plurality of surface features. In some exemplary embodiments, the top surface 20 bows slightly upward and defines a plurality of pads 22 and a holder 24. The holder 24 is designed to hold a container, e.g., a baggie (as shown in FIG. 1), a cup, a plastic tub or some other container, used for packaging pills. In accordance with the particular container to be used, the holder 24 may take different shapes. Likewise the pads 22 may be more or fewer in number and also modified in shape in position on the base. In the embodiment shown, the holder 24 is located proximate the peripheral edge 18 and is in addition to, and eccentric of, the center hub 26 for mounting the connector 28 and the tray elements 14 and 16. The center hub 26 extends generally orthogonally from the top surface (upward—if the base 12 of the pill packager 10 is resting on a horizontal surface; this orientation reference language will be maintained throughout the following description for consistency) and defines a retaining edge 30 and raised key 32.

Returning to FIG. 1, it is seen that the center boss 34 of the support tray 14 fits into and mates with the center hub 26 of the base 12, such that the two elements—tray 14 and base 12—are oriented generally parallel to one another and fixedly engaged. Alternatively, the support tray and base could be manufactured as one unit or could be held together in different ways, such as by screws or adhesive. The instant design with separate elements shown having mating center fittings has been chosen for ease of both manufacturing and use.

Shown in more detail in FIG. 3, the exemplary support tray 14 is seen to comprise the center boss 34 as well as the eccentrically located load element 36. The center boss 34 defines a keyway 38 for engaging the connector 28 (to be best seen in FIG. 5 and discussed later). The keyway 38 is oriented on the support tray 14 so as to link the connector 28 with the support tray 14 and base 12 positioning the load element 36 over the holder 24. Because the support tray 14 does not rotate with respect to the base 12, the load element 36 will continually be positioned over the holder 24. The load element 36 is designed to direct the pills or other capsules into the waiting baggie or other container being held in the holder 24 and could alternatively be of a different shape, e.g., a wide or narrow tube, a funnel, or an inverted cone, and could even comprise an adjustable aperture for selecting different sizes of pills to load. In the embodiment shown, the load element 36 comprises a descending funnel so as to narrowly direct the pills into the baggie to be loaded and packaged. However, different types of pills or medicinal capsules and different types of containers may dictate a different type of load element 36.

The exemplary rotator tray 16 of FIG. 4 sits atop the support tray 14 and comprises a plurality of bottomless pill compartments 42 (in the embodiment shown, the number of pill compartments 42 is chosen to be seven so as to correspond to the days of the week but could be any other number according to the desired indexing scheme, possibly corresponding to other time information, e.g., hours of the day, days of the month, etc.) and a similar number (here seven) of ribs 44 arranged around and extending radially outwardly from the central ring 46. The resulting annular shape defines an inner rim (central ring) 46 and an outer rim 50.

The rotator tray may optionally feature tabs 48 extending outwardly from the outer rim 50 and optionally corresponding to the pill compartments 42, which tabs 48 may be indexed and labeled with the days of the week, or numbered as desired. The user manipulates the tabs 48 so as to position the desired pill compartment over the load element 36 thereby loading and packaging the selected pills into the baggie (being held in the holder beneath the load element). The user can then remove and secure the loaded baggie, replacing it in the holder 24 with a baggie or other container in preparation for the next pill dose.

In one embodiment, an option additional tab (or tabs) 52 (referred to as the load tab) may be located on the outer rim 50 to indicate the load position of the rotator tray 16. When the rotator tray 16 is thus positioned in the load position, the pills or other medicinal capsules can then be loaded into the pill compartments 42 of the rotator tray 16 without entering the load element 36.

Still according to FIG. 4, the central ring 46 defined by the inner rim of the rotator tray 16 comprises a plurality of detents 54 corresponding to the various tabs 48 and 52. The detents 54 extend inwardly from the inner rim 46 and are to be used in conjunction with the bumps to be described later as part of the indexing means for the pill packager 10.

FIG. 5 shows the connector 28 greatly magnified for purposes of clarity. The connector 28 provides the connecting linkage between the rotator tray 16 and the support tray 14 thereby allowing the two trays to rotationally engage relative to one another. The top cap 58 (the top cap could be any suitable shape to create flange for the column, e.g., a disk, square, polygon or the like) is fixedly mounted on the central column 60 and defines a plurality of bumps 62 on the underside 64 which may correspond to the detents 54 of the rotator tray 16 and are intended to fit therein. The central column 60 is oriented generally orthogonally from the underside 64 of the top cap 58 and, when the top cap 58 is assembled adjacent the central ring 46 of the rotator tray 16, depends through the center boss 34 and the keyway 38 to mate with the key 32 of the base 12. Typically (the connecting linkage of) the connector 28 is removably and adjustably mounted on the inner rim 46 of the rotator tray 16 but is kept relatively fixed and rotationally stationary by the keyway 38 of the tray support 14 and the key 32 of the base member 12.

Although the illustrated embodiments comprises separate base 12 and support tray 14 elements for ease of assembly, it is understood that in alternate embodiments, these two elements could be integrated into one element and the connecting linkage could directly link the rotator tray element to the integrated base/support tray element. In said alternate embodiments with the thusly integrated base/support tray element, the key and keyway may be likewise integrated into one element.

In operation, the rotator tray 16, of the pill packager 10, rotates relative to the stationary lower support tray 14, thereby alternately positioning the selected pill compartments 42 superjacent the descending funnel (load element) 36 of the support tray 14. In the example embodiment, the system of tabs 48 are used to assist in the rotation of the rotator tray 16. A user may manually handle the tabs 48 to advance or reverse the direction of the rotator tray 16, thereby selecting according to the user's preference which pill compartments are to be emptied into the container and packaged therein. If the pill packager 10 also comprises the load tab 52, the user may manually rotate the rotator tray 16 in the same way so as to select the load position of the rotator tray in order to sort and load the pills into the pill compartments 42. The pill packager 10 allows that the user will have complete control over the number, type, and order of the pills to be packaged. Additionally, by labeling the tabs 48, the user is provided with a cost effective customizable system of organizing pills by compartments.

The assembled pill packager 10 may also index the various pill compartments 42 with the stationary descending funnel (load element) 36. In exemplary embodiments, the pill packager 10 uses a bump and detent system to manage the rotation of the rotator tray 16 so as to keep the rotator tray 16 in desirable positions (either open for dispensing, or closed for loading). In one embodiment, the bumps 62 on the underside 64 of the top cap 58 of the connector 28 and the detents 54 on the central ring of the rotator tray 16 are used to index the rotation of the rotator tray 16. In alternate embodiments, the bumps could be provided on the rotator tray 16 and the detents on the underside of the top cap 58. In a further alternative, the bumps and detents may be between the rotator tray 16 and the support tray 14.

In one exemplary embodiment in one embodiment, a screw (not shown) may be inserted through the base 12 into the connector 28 to urge the bumps into the detents by tightening the top cap of the connector (the connecting linkage) towards the rotator tray 16. Such a screw could be adjustable by the user so that each individual user can tighten or loosen the screw according to his or her preferences to provide more or less urging force. The tabs system then provides the means for manually rotationally advancing the selected bumps into the detents.

In alternate embodiments, top cap 58 and connector column 60 as shown could be replaced by any suitable connecting linkage linking the rotator tray 16 to the base/support tray 12 so as to urge the bumps into the detents.

The aforementioned load tab 52 does not correspond to a pill compartment, as do the other tabs 48, but instead indexes the rotator tray 16 such that the bottomless pill compartments 42 will be in loadable positions (i.e., closed off from the load element 36).

In an alternate embodiment (shown in FIG. 6), the tabs are eliminated, and a central boss 66 mounted on the rotator tray 16 or the connector 28 may be used to rotate the rotator tray 16.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art and others, that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiment discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifested and intended that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalence thereof. 

1. A pill packager comprising: a base having a footprint and a top surface with a hub extending generally orthogonally from said top surface; a support tray having a boss and defining an eccentrically located load element, said boss being coupled with said hub; a rotator tray having a plurality of ribs defining compartments between the ribs, said rotator tray being rotationally mounted superjacent the support tray; and a connecting linkage between the rotator tray and the support tray to rotationally engage said rotator tray with said support tray.
 2. The pill packager of claim 1 wherein said hub defines a raised key.
 3. The pill packager of claim 2 wherein said boss is coupled with said hub via a keyway mating with said raised key.
 4. The pill packager of claim 1 wherein said top surface further defines a holder.
 5. The pill packager of claim 4 wherein said load element aligns with said holder.
 6. The pill packager of claim 1 wherein the load element is a straight tube, a descending funnel, or an inverted cone.
 7. The pill packager of claim 1 said rotator tray also defining an outer rim and comprising means for rotating the rotator tray relative to the support tray.
 8. The pill packager of claim 1 wherein said rotator tray defines seven ribs with seven compartments between said ribs.
 9. The pill packager of claim 1 wherein said rotator tray further comprises a system of tabs extending outwardly from the rotator tray.
 10. The pill packager of claim 9 wherein said tabs correspond to said compartments.
 11. The pill packager of claim 1 wherein the connecting linkage includes a top cap mounted on a connecting column.
 12. The pill packager of claim 11 wherein said connecting column depends through said boss of said support tray.
 13. The pill packager of claim 12 wherein said connecting column mates with a raised key of said hub.
 14. The pill packager of claim 1 further comprising means for indexing the compartments of the rotator tray with the load element of the support tray.
 15. The pill packager of claim 14 wherein the means for indexing comprises a bump and detent system.
 16. The pill packager of claim 15 wherein with said bumps being mounted on the connecting linkage and the detents being mounted on the rotator tray.
 17. The pill packager of claim 15 wherein said bump and detent system corresponds to the defined compartments of said rotator tray.
 18. The pill packager of claim 14 wherein the means for indexing further comprises a screw for tightening the connecting linkage to the rotator tray.
 19. A cost effective pill packaging apparatus, comprising: a rotator tray having an inner rim and an outer rim, said tray defining a plurality of bottomless pill compartments spaced between said inner and outer rims; a connector linked to the inner rim of the rotator tray and extending therethrough; a support tray oriented generally parallel to and rotationally engaged with the rotator tray and having a boss through which the connector extends, said support tray defining a load element and said rotator tray being capable of rotating relative to the support tray to advance at least one of said pill compartments superjacent the load element; and a base member coupled to the boss of the support tray, said base member being oriented generally orthogonally to the connector.
 20. The cost effective pill packaging apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for controlling the relative rotation between the rotator tray and the tray support.
 21. The cost effective pill packaging apparatus of claim 19 wherein the means for controlling includes a system of tabs mounted on said rotator tray and corresponding to said pill compartments.
 22. The cost effective pill packaging apparatus of claim 21 wherein said system of tabs are labeled with time information and correspond to said pill compartments.
 23. The cost effective pill packaging apparatus of claim 21 wherein the means for rotating further comprises at least one load tab.
 24. The cost effective pill packaging apparatus of claim 19 wherein said connector comprises a top cap and a connecting column mounted to and depending therefrom.
 25. The cost effective pill packaging apparatus of claim 24 wherein the top cap is removably mounted with the inner rim of said rotator tray.
 26. A pill packaging apparatus comprising: a rotator tray having an inner rim and an outer rim, said tray defining a plurality of bottomless pill compartments spaced between the rims; a connector linked to the inner rim of the rotator tray and extending therethrough; a base support tray oriented generally parallel to and rotationally engaged with the rotator tray and having a boss through which the connector extends, said base support tray defining a load element positioned subjacent at least one pill compartment and said rotator tray being capable of rotating relative to the base support tray so that the pill compartments are advancingly positioned superjacent the load element; and means for controlling the relative rotation between the rotator tray and the tray support.
 27. The pill packaging apparatus of claim 26, wherein the base support tray further defines a holder suitable for a pill container, said holder being aligned with said load element, and at least one pill compartment positionable superjacent said load element.
 28. The pill packaging apparatus of claim 26 wherein the rotator tray defines seven compartments, and a system of tabs mounted on the rotator tray and extending outwardly from said rotator tray and corresponding to said pill compartments, said tabs being labeled with the days of the week, and the rotator tray further comprises a load tab located on said outer rim between two of said labeled tabs.
 29. The pill packaging apparatus of claim 26 further comprising a system of bumps and detents corresponding to the pill compartments and means for urging the rotator tray against the support tray such that the bottomless pill compartments will be alternately rotated superjacent to the load element, said means for urging comprising a screw inserted through the base into the connector and turned so as to advance the connector toward the rotator tray. 